Follow the yellow flowers: remote sensing the spread of an invasive shrub in northern Patagonia

Abstract Management plans to control invasive species populations require accurate distribution maps, with details on the invasion patterns and dynamics. Remote sensing is an effective tool for mapping species with distinctive spectral signatures. Cytisus scoparius is an invasive shrub that negatively affects biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in several parts of the world. In Argentina, although it was declared as a priority invasive species for control, updated information on its distribution and spread is lacking. Using the complete Sentinel−2 image series (2017–2025) we map annual invasion patterns and temporal dynamics of C. scoparius populations in Andean North Patagonia, identify drivers of occurrence and coverage, and develop spatially explicit management recommendations. We produce a high-resolution map of the invasion with a level of spatial coverage and temporal depth not achieved in earlier studies. Our findings indicate that C. scoparius population is concentrated around urban settlements, where the highest densities of the species occur, and declines toward natural areas. Temporal trend was spatially heterogeneous, where some areas gain cover while others lost it. Urban expansion was associated with cover decrease. Drivers of occurrence differed from those associated with cover: while both were mainly explained by anthropogenic and natural corridors, occurrence increased with temperature, whereas abundance increased with precipitation and had a low association with post-fire disturbance. With this information we went a step further and developed spatially explicit management strategy recommendations across the study area, presenting a practical tool for prioritizing management actions and supporting decision-making processes.